


Dates and Doritoes

by Loopstagirl



Series: Camelot_Drabble [147]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 13:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7893688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopstagirl/pseuds/Loopstagirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long day, Merlin knows just what Arthur needs to relax.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dates and Doritoes

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.  
> Written for the Camelot_Drabble prompt: Recipe

Merlin’s phone jingled and he grinned as he pulled it out of his pocket.

“Well, hello, lover. I was just thinking about you.”

 _“You’re always thinking about me,”_ Arthur said and Merlin could picture his smile. His own grin softened and he tucked the phone under his ear as he picked up his salad.

“What’s up?”

 _“Bad day,_ ” Arthur replied and Merlin grimaced. He could hear the exhaustion and tiredness in his boyfriend’s voice.

“Come over tonight. I’ll make you dinner,” Merlin said, making a decision in the spur of the moment. He had been eating really healthily lately, knowing he had to get his strength back after a health scare a few months ago. But he also deserved a night off and knew exactly what would do the trick for Arthur.

_“Seven okay?”_

“Perfect. See you then.” Merlin hung up, finding he was in even better spirits than he had been before Arthur rang. He found a bench in the sunshine and proceeded with his healthy lunch, knowing he would more than make up for it later that night.

The afternoon went quickly and he was glad when the clock finally showed five. He jumped up, grabbing his bag and jacket.

“Big night?” Gwen asked with a smile. Merlin nodded as he passed her on the way out.

“Date night,” he called. He would just have enough time to get home, grab a shower and do some hasty clearing up before Arthur arrived. They were still early in their relationship and although they spent nearly every weekend with each other, Merlin was still conscious of how run down his flat was compared to Arthur’s luxury apartment. It made him aware of dust and laundry in a way his mother had never got into his head.

He put the mince in the oven – glad he had never got around to putting it in the freezer – and had just grated enough cheese when the doorbell rang. Merlin went to answer it and rolled his eyes at seeing Arthur looking as if he was struggling to stand up right. Merlin pulled him in, expertly slipping off his jacket before kissing him.

“Go and sit down,” Merlin instructed. His initial thought had been to open the crate of beer Gwaine had brought him when he had been given the all-clear but now he had a better idea. The food was going to take a while, so Merlin put the kettle on and made Arthur a cup of tea.

They made small talk until the buzzer made Merlin leap up. Arthur followed him through to the kitchen.

“What can I do to help?”

Merlin tossed him a bag of doritoes. “Open these,” he instructed, pulling the mince out and mixing the cheese through. He grabbed a handful of crisps, scrunched them up and also mixed them in. Arthur’s eyebrows raised.

“I thought you were being healthy.”

“Consider yourself my bad influence then,” Merlin teased before shoving the whole thing back in the oven. He took the crisps out of Arthur’s hand and wrapped his arms around his neck.

“So,” Merlin said, leaning in to trail kisses along Arthur’s neck. “What are you planning to do to make it up to me?”

“I’d show you only you’d forget dinner if I did.”

“Ooh, promises.”

Arthur reached up, cupping his cheek and twisting around until he could kiss him. Merlin felt like a teenager again as they stood there, making out in his kitchen, but it worked to pass the time until dinner was ready.

He dolloped it into two bowls, juggled the left-over doritoes and led the way back into the lounge. They ended up sitting on the floor, the bag of crisps between them as they used them as shovels for the rest of the mixture.

“This shouldn’t be so good,” Arthur moaned as he reached for another crisp. Merlin beat him to it, loaded it up and held it out to Arthur. If his partner sucked his fingers as well as the crisp, licking the remains from his hand, then Merlin certainly wasn’t complaining.

“Uni discovery,” Merlin said, scraping the bowl clean and sitting back in contentment. “Haven’t had it for ages though.”

Arthur finished his own and snagged the last doritoe. Merlin started to complain until it was shoved in his mouth. Arthur moved the bowls, but only so he could lie down with his head on Merlin’s lap, a position that he seemed to prefer considering the amount of times he had done it recently. Merlin automatically started cording his fingers through Arthur’s hair.

“Feeling better?” He asked softly, his voice sincere for once. Arthur looked better now his tie and socks were off and he had a sleepy, full-up expression on his face. Arthur nodded, resting a hand against Merlin’s stomach.

“Thank you,” he said, “I needed that.”

“I know,” Merlin replied. “I heard it in your voice.”

“Can I stay tonight?”

“I would have been offended if you tried to leave.”

Despite their teasing and flirting earlier in the evening, Merlin knew things would escalate until they were going to bed. Both of them were too content to do anything that energetic right now. Instead, Merlin leant over and grabbed the remote, flicking through channels until he found an old re-run of Doctor Who. Arthur groaned dramatically, but Merlin just poked him. He knew it was a pretence and Arthur loved it as much as he did.

He was right. It didn’t take long for Arthur to sit up and start shouting at the screen. Merlin rested his head back on the sofa, a sleepy smile on his face as he watched his boyfriend more than he watched the show. Without thinking, he began sucking the remaining doritoe dust from his fingers.

It didn’t take long for Arthur to also forget the tv as he watched Merlin.

“Oh,” Merlin said softly when he realised what he was doing. Arthur looked hungry again, only this time, for something very different.


End file.
